There will be a double burial of national heroes, Brigadier-General (Retired) Milton Siziba and Ambassador Johannes Tomana, during the commemoration of Heroes Day at the National Heroes Acre on Monday.
Brig-Gen (Rtd) Siziba
Brig-Gen Siziba succumbed to shortness of breath at his house in Northville, Bulawayo on August 1, while Ambassador Tomana died after complaining of stomach pains after visiting his rural home in Honde Valley last Sunday.
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage confirmed the twin burials.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage wishes to advise the nation that there shall be a twin burial for the two late national heroes at the National Heroes Acre on Monday 14 August 2023. His Excellency, the President Cde Dr E.D Mnangagwa will preside over the event,” said the ministry.
Other senior Government and ruling party officials that include Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Constantino Chiwenga, ZANU PF Vice President and Second Secretary Cde Kembo Mohadi, Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, ministers and members of the diplomatic community, are also expected to attend.
Mourners are expected to be seated by 7am.
“The burials shall be preceded by the commemorations of Heroes Day at the same venue,” said the ministry.
Brig-Gen Siziba joined the liberation war as a ZIPRA cadre and was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army where he rose through the ranks to become Brigadier General and later joined the then ZPS.
Ambassador Tomana was a lawyer by training and distinguished himself in private practice.
In 2005, Ambassador Tomana was appointed to be one of the commissioners of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, one of the independent constitutional bodies established to fight graft.
He was later appointed Attorney General in 2008, where he performed the dual role of leading the prosecution department and Government advisory role.
The two were later split under the new Constitution that came into effect in 2013, where Ambassador Tomana became the country’s first Prosecutor General. He later joined the diplomatic service in 2020 and was posted to the DRC in the same year.
